These are the fundamental parts of any advertising ad, the keys to persuasion.

   Every day we are bombarded by advertisements, but not everyone succeeds, far from it.

   In this article we will review those components that cannot be missing from any advertising spot if we want it to be successful. We will go deeper into each one of them and see what role it plays in the transmission of the message and the persuasive process that advertising seeks.

   Although we believe that advertising is a relatively recent field, this is by no means the case. To get an idea, we have to know that tablets belonging to merchants of Babylon of the third millennium before Christ have been found, in which different products and services were advertised. The same has happened in archaeological excavations in Egypt, Pompeii, Greece or Rome. The conclusion is that advertising has accompanied humanity from almost the beginning of history.

   Of course, what is true is that since the last century, this field of study has practically become a science, and that is why countless studies have been carried out to investigate the elements of an advertising spot in order to determine which styles work best and to be able to get the most out of each one of them, making our spot achieve the maximum impact on the audience and thus ultimately achieve more sales of our product or service.

   When developing an advertising message, we can try to enhance some of its elements, and probably in this way we will achieve a certain reception by some consumers. But, if we really want to create a spot that achieves its effect and draws significant attention to the group to which it is addressed, we must pay attention to all the elements of a commercial, and not just one. This is because each part is fulfilling a certain function.

   Therefore, we would be talking about a system of synergy in which the different parts, when brought together, achieve a greater impact than when working separately. That is why, as they are like complementary pieces of the same puzzle, we should not relegate any of them to a second position and we should put our efforts in getting the best version of each of the elements of a commercial. This is the only way to guarantee a good part of the way to commercial success.
The different elements of a commercial

   We have already seen the importance of these components, but the most important thing remains: to know what they are and what characteristics each one of them has. Therefore, below we will see a list that will allow us to know them and discover their peculiarities, so that we have a notion of what are the keys that marketing and communication professionals take into account.

1. The bullet

The first of the elements of an advertisement is the bullet, also called bullet by its English nomenclature. The name is quite descriptive, because this element, the first of all, has to act as a shot. Something quick and direct, which provokes a shock in the audience and in this way manages to attract attention. Because attention is the key to any advertising campaign. If we manage to catch the attention at the beginning of the message, we will have a good part of the work done.

The shot is usually a sentence of a few words. Perhaps a question that prompts the recipient to think and reflect on the answer. A controversial statement can also be used, something that causes a shock by questioning the viewer's belief system. It doesn't matter, because we will have resolved that conflict with the rest of the elements of the commercial, but the important thing is that we will have managed to get the person to direct his or her gaze and attention to give us a few seconds of his or her time.

2. The header

Once we have managed to capture the attention of the potential client, we have to take advantage of the situation and strike again with a short message, this time, the headline. The idea is to tell the viewer what the general idea is that we want to convey throughout the message, and therefore the header must be short and attractive. It is essential that this is the case in order to ensure that they continue to pay attention to us and that our message penetrates their unconscious.

The header, as its own name suggests, must be placed at the top of our ad, since it is usually where the consumer will look first, and therefore it must be the trap that, like the bullet, catches the viewer's attention and does not let go, if possible until he or she has received the complete message that we are trying to convey with all the elements of an ad.

3. Photography

   The next element is not verbal, but is an image, a photograph. It serves to support the message and also to attract the look and with it the attention of the potential consumer. In that sense, its function would be essentially that of an element of attraction. Many advertising campaigns resort to the use of photographs of attractive people and also of public figures, whether from the world of cinema, sport or other fields.

   Logically, this strategy entails an economic cost that can sometimes be enormous, depending on the relevance of that person and therefore the fees required to lend their image to that campaign. Therefore, it is not something within the reach of all brands. But even if the face is not known, it can cause a tremendously powerful effect if it fits in with the message we want to transmit. Of course, you can also choose to show something other than a human face.

   In fact, many products are so attractive that the brand chooses to use their image directly for photography. Likewise, if it is shown in a proper way, it can (and does) work in a very intense way. Of course, the photograph must have some conditions in terms of lighting, resolution, angle, composition and many other variables that make it visually attractive in itself. There is a whole science behind this field.

4. The body of the message

   Although all the elements of an ad are important, as we have already seen, the body of the message may be vital. The ones we have seen so far had the essential function of capturing the customer's attention, but it is the body that, once the person is looking at us, has the function of clearly and concisely conveying the message we want to send and, more importantly, convincing him that the product or service is for him.

   The body must be direct. We know that attention time will be very limited and therefore we cannot waste it with long texts, offering endless explanations of the advantages of our product. No. It has to be fleeting, a few lines in which all the strengths of what we are offering are condensed. The perfect message is the one that not only tempts the consumer, but also convinces him/her that he/she needs to acquire the product.

5. The Logo

   Accompanying the message and in a clear place, the logo of the brand must appear. It is that small image that everyone should associate with our products and that should provoke a reaction just by seeing it.

   There are brands that we all recognize just by appreciating the logo, but others must build their reputation and image, associated with the quality of their products. In those cases it will be even more necessary that the logo is clearly appreciated so that customers can make that visual association.

6. The slogan

   One of the elements of an advertisement that usually accompanies the logo is the slogan. It is a short phrase that must contain a powerful message, a slogan that, just like the logo, we associate with the brand and causes us a positive emotion every time we hear or read it. The slogan can be unique for the brand or it can be made for the specific advertising campaign we are working on.

   Some slogans last over time and manage to generate a greater memory than the brand itself. Therefore, a powerful slogan must be used and we should not replace it with another one lightly, since we run the risk of weakening the brand image and causing confusion in the perception of consumers, who may not recognize the product as easily as before.

7. Contact information

   The last element of an advertisement is obvious: the contact details. There is no point in having succeeded in capturing the consumer's attention and convincing him/her to buy our product and service, if he/she does not know how to do it afterwards. Therefore, it is necessary that we leave a contact, which can be the address of the store itself (physical or online), or simply the social networks from which you can contact, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

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